Changes

Unless a public and unsecured wireless network is available (for example at an airport, hotel or library) it will be necessary to configure Ubuntu with appropriate access credentials to gain access to a secured Wi-Fi network. The first step of this process is to identify any networks that are within range of the Ubuntu system. To do so, simply click on the NetworkManager icon in the system indicators section of the panel. This will drop down a menu containing the first five detected networks, the respective signal strength of each network and a number of menu options. A typical Ubuntu NetworkManager menu is illustrated in the following figure:

[[Image:ubuntu_11_unity_network_menu.jpg|The Ubuntu 11.04 NetworkManager menu]]

Select the authentication type used by the base station and enter the appropriate authentication key and corresponding settings. These settings will depend on the type and configuration of the wireless network to which a connection is being established. Contact the administrator of the network or the documentation for the base station for guidance on the correct settings to use. Once the information has been entered, click on the connect button, enter a keyring password if prompted to do so and wait while the NetworkManager establishes the connection.

== Connecting to a Hidden Network ==